1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to hinge assemblies and, more particularly, to a hinge assembly for a foldable electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Foldable electronic devices, such as notebook computers, are popular for their portability. In the foldable electronic device, a cover is rotatably connected to a main body via a typical hinge assembly.
The typical hinge assembly often includes a shaft, a friction member, a plurality of resilient washers fixed on the shaft, and a rotary member rotatably sleeved on the shaft. The rotary member and the shaft are fixed to the cover and the main body. The resilient washers create an axial force to push the friction member to resist the rotary member. The rotary member may be positioned in any position relative to the friction member and the shaft because of friction created between the friction member and the rotary member. Thus, the cover can be opened to any angle relative to the main body, and remain in any position.
However, the axial force created by the resilient washers is relatively small, and over time, the friction causes abrasion of the engaging surfaces of the rotary member and the friction member, resulting in little or no friction between the rotary member and the friction member. Thus, the cover would be incapable of remaining in any desired position. In addition, the resilient washers are always compressed even when the rotary member is not being rotated, so the resilient washers become worn. Therefore, the hinge assembly has a relatively short usage life.
Therefore, a hinge assembly to solve the aforementioned problems is desired.